Mountain Wanderer Map and Bookstore

About Me

Owner of Mountain Wanderer Map and Book Store and avid hiker for 40 years. Editor of AMC White Mountain Guide and author or co-author of several other White Mountain guidebooks. Member of AMC Four Thousand Footer Committee and WMNF trail adopter.

Monday, April 25, 2016

CATSKILLS - PECOY NOTCH: 4/19/16

Carol and I enjoyed a hike to Pecoy Notch, the deep gap between Twin and Sugarloaf Mountains, on a sunny and breezy afternoon. The Pecoy Notch Trail is one of our favorites, offering a variety of scenic attractions.

We love the attractive Forest Preserve trail signs.

More classic Catskill hardwoods.

One of several interesting boulders beside the trail.

The site of a geocache called "Hemrock."

Great walking.

The best-known attraction on the Pecoy Notch Trail is Dibble's Quarry, seen here with Twin Mountain in the background. We found a tricky geocache in the woods above.

Suitable for a queen and king.

Cascade above the trail's brook crossing.

More cascades below, near another geocache.

A high-elevation beaver meadow and Twin Mountain.

Pecoy Notch in sight ahead.

The Blackhead Range glimpsed through the trees on the moderate climb to the notch.

Sunny woods in Pecoy Notch.

The junction with the Devil's Path, the classic Catskill hiking route.

Looking south through the notch.

Heading a little ways up the rugged Devil's Path towards Sugarloaf for the last cache of the day.

Great spot for a geocache!

That's a big trackable!

On the way down I scrounged around the slope for a view of the wild cliffs and talus slopes on the SW face of twin Mountain.

Rugged terrain up on the west side of the notch.

Heading back down.

Late afternoon sun streams into the woods.

Relaxing at Dibble's Quarry.

Kaaterskill High Peak, once thought to be the highest of the Catskills. In fact, it ranks #22 in elevation among the 3500-foot peaks. Still, an impressive mountain.